


It Goes Both Ways

by baileyrayne



Series: Observations and Insinuations Universe [2]
Category: The Brave (TV 2017)
Genre: F/M, Family, Friendship, Gen, Romance, Team, Team as Family, friends - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-02
Updated: 2018-02-02
Packaged: 2019-03-12 14:12:56
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,145
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13549026
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/baileyrayne/pseuds/baileyrayne
Summary: The team had followed her lead, ignoring her cries and yells in the middle of the night. No one mentioned her tired eyes, and her need to see them all when she pulled herself from a fitful sleep. The nights she spent in the hospital following her capture were probably the last time she’d slept peacefully through the night.Part of the Observations and Insinuations universe





	It Goes Both Ways

**Author's Note:**

> This belongs to the Observations and Insinuations universe but can be read alone. Established Jalton, and an important discussion.   
> Hope you enjoy. If you have any specific prompts, serious or funny, let me know and I will do my best to fill them!  
> You can find me on tumblr at http://queen-of-daydreaming.tumblr.com/

Four fifths of the team filtered into the barracks, a somber mood covering the group. They stopped in surprise to stare at the common area. A team must have been in to clean up the blast because the common area looked exactly like it had the morning before everything fell to pieces. They stand in a line at the opening of the barracks, looking around at the room. 

“I need a drink,” McG finally mutters, breaking the silence. He heads to the kitchen grabbing a beer from the fridge to head outside with. Amir broke away to grab his prayer rug, before he excused himself to head to the nearby mosque. Dalton and Jaz looked at each other, agreeing silently to head to the couch. Dalton sat down slowly at the end of the couch, leaning back and rubbing a hand over his face. Jaz fell into the couch quickly and loudly, letting out a large sigh as she settled next to Dalton. 

She leaned against the back of the couch and turned her head to look at Dalton. He draped an arm across the back of the couch, inviting her to lean into him. Jaz adjusted her position a little to lay her head against his shoulder. 

“The world needs to give us a few days rest before the next crisis,” she muttered, letting out another sigh.

“Patricia will try to get any major assignments pushed to another unit for us while we wait for Preach to wake up,” Dalton explained, his fingers drawing soft circles on her shoulder. 

“We have to talk, Top,” Jaz started, changing the topic abruptly.

“Adam,” Dalton interrupted, turning to face her a little more fully. 

“What?”

“Call me Adam, please,” he said, lifting an eyebrow to get a smile out of her.

“Okay, Adam,” she smiled briefly at the gesture before returning to the topic at hand. “We need to talk. Specifically, about you going dark and making us all worry,” Jaz pulled her legs up under her, propping her elbow on the back of the couch to hold her head in her hand. 

“He wasn’t going to get away with trying to kill Patricia and putting Preach in a coma, Jaz,” Dalton explained, trying to get Jaz to see his side. “I wasn’t going to let him hurt anyone else. I was protecting all of you.”

“I know,” Jaz said, surprising Dalton. His surprise showed on his face, making Jaz laugh lightly. “I’m not upset that you took care of the problem. I’m upset that you didn’t tell any of us. You didn’t have to tell me, but at least McG or even command in DC. I know you can handle yourself. I just wish I could have been your back up.”

“What I did, it wasn’t necessarily legal. Hoffman said it himself, it was just murder. I wasn’t going to put any of you in that position or risk any of your careers,” Dalton tried to justify going off on his own, knowing Jaz would have a rebuttal.   
“We’re a team Dal-Adam. Any one of us would gladly have made that decision. Hell, it should have been mine since you took my shot at the compound,” Jaz reminded him. “Whatever happens with us, we will always be a team and you will always be my partner. That’s never going to change. You can lean on me and ask me for help. I won’t say no.”

“You know that goes both ways? And not just when we’re on a mission,” Dalton asked, hinting at her nightmares she pretended didn’t exist. It may have been a few weeks, and she may have been cleared for duty, but she was always going to have Tehran living in her mind and heart. 

Jaz looked at him in surprise, not at him knowing about her nightmares, but at him bringing them up. He is very good at compartmentalizing and keeping feelings out of work. Jaz realized that their decision to be together would break that door open. She pulled away slightly, causing Dalton’s arm to fall from her shoulder. She stared at the wall behind them, searching for something to say. 

Dalton watched the thoughts flicker across her face, giving her a moment to collect them. The team had followed her lead, ignoring her cries and yells in the middle of the night. No one mentioned her tired eyes, and her need to see them all when she pulled herself from a fitful sleep. The nights she spent in the hospital following her capture were probably the last time she’d slept peacefully through the night.

“Am I really that obvious?” She finally asked, leaning her head in her hands. “I tried to be quiet, but when I’m in the middle of one the really bad ones, I guess I don’t have any control over it. Sorry.”

“Hey. Hey, Jaz,” Dalton grabbed both her hands, pulling her back towards him. “You didn’t do anything wrong. We’ve just been worried about you, but we were following your lead. It’s been killing me not to be able to help, because I thought that might be crossing a line. But considering we’ve crossed that line together, I wanted to remind you that I am your partner in whatever way you need me. The other guys will tease and taunt us, but I think we can take it. Together.”

“Together. I like that,” Jaz smiled at him, his comforting words washing over her. “And you do help. Seeing you in the mornings, especially after a bad nightmare, reminds me that they didn’t kill you like they tried to make me believe. That helps a little more each and every day.”

“Yeah?” Dalton leaned towards her, an eyebrow arched.

“Yeah,” Jaz confirmed, closing the distance and pressing her lips to his. The kiss didn’t last long, interrupted by a low whistle. They pulled apart to glare at McG standing behind the couch. 

“Get a room,” he teased, wiggling his eyebrows at them. Dalton rolled his eyes while Jaz punched McG in the arm. He laughed as he retreated to his room, leaving the two alone again. 

Jaz pulled her legs back up under her and leaned her head against his shoulder. Dalton returned his hand to her hair, running his fingers through it. The sigh Jaz let out was one of comfort. It only took minutes for her to drift off. Dalton followed soon after, pulling her as close as he could. The last few days may have been a disaster, but it forced them to admit their feelings to each other and that was probably the best that could have happened to them. They knew there would be plenty of jokes in the morning, mostly all from McG, but like Dalton said, they would face it together. Like the partners they were and would always be.


End file.
